Whole Wheat Apple Cake

A whole wheat apple cake that's moist and choke-full of apples.  I love making easy cake like this because it's flavorful and light enough for after weekdays after dinner desserts.  We eat it for breakfast, of course, because the recipe said that it was for that time of day :)

Any apples will do for this cake, I had some homegrown Fuji and Gala that I used.  It's a recipe that uses spices that are so wonderful this time of year.  The house smells so fragrant while I baked this cake.

The cake is slightly darker here because I didn't cover it after 45 minutes of baking.  Oops...it's something that I missed, as usual, for not reading too carefully towards the end.  The color is pretty dark on top but the inside is still moist. 

So here is the recipe for your enjoyment!

Whole Wheat Apple Cake

Makes 1 9-inch cake


3 apples, Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups plain whole-milk yogurt


Preheat oven to 350 degree F.  In a medium bowl, combine apples, 1/2 cup light-brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves; set aside.  Sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.  Butter a 9-inch springform pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, until well combined.  Add vanilla extract, and combine.  Add reserved flour mixture and yogurt; stir until well combined.  Fold in two-thirds of the reserved apple mixture.

Spoon half of the batter into prepared pan.  Sprinkle remaining apple mixture evenly over batter.  Top with remaining batter; smooth with a spatula.  Sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar.

Bake cake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes.  Cover with foil after 45 minutes of baking.  Let cool 20 minutes before releasing cake from the pan.


Source:  adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Christmas Cookbook

Mini Chocolate-Cinnamon Rolls

I'm so excited with a week break I have from work.  Yes, it is a Thanksgiving break for me and what do I have in mind?  My plan is to bake and cook!  I'm trying to squeeze in as many baking activities in a week, plus some cooking for Thanksgiving day for my family.

So far, I've managed to make these mini chocolate-cinnamon rolls for breakfast.  They're bite-sized morsels that I don't think it is a sin that they are categorized as desserts.  I slather these buns very well with butter and cinnamon-sugar.  Then chocolate chips were added liberally all over.  Then I rolled them as tight as I can, not an easy feat because the dough is pretty thin, but it can be done!  When it's still warm, the melted chocolate is a delicious addition to these buns.

When they're this small, my family can eat about 5 at once for breakfast.  I'm surprised that I only ate 3 but then I ate another 2 for desserts :D

The week will get busy so I better share this today!

Mini Chocolate-Cinnamon Rolls

Makes about 40 small buns


Dough:
1 cup water
1/4 cup dry milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups bread flour
3/4 teaspoon bread machine or instant yeast

Filling:
1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; divided
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk, more if needed to make a flowing consistency


I used bread machine to make my dough so place the ingredients for the dough into the bread pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.  Select Dough Cycle.

For the filling:  combine ground cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt in a small bowl.

Once the cycle is done, remove dough to a lightly floured board; cover with a large bowl and let rest 10 to 15 minutes.

Divide the dough in half.  Roll out each half to a 20-by 7-inch rectangle.  Spread one rectangle with 3 tablespoons soft butter to within 1/2 inch of the edges.  Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture then scatter half of the chocolate chips over the dough. 

Beginning at the long side, roll jellyroll-style.  Pinch to seal seam.  Cut into 20 1-inch pieces.  Place these, cut side up,  on a large baking sheet lined with parchment or sprayed with cooking spray.  Repeat procedure with remaining dough.  Cover and let dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in volume.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degree F.

Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until buns start to brown around the sides.  Allow to stand for a few minutes while preparing the glaze.

For the glaze:  combine all the ingredients for the glaze in a bowl and whisk until well-combined.

Drizzle the glaze onto the buns while they are still warm.


Source:  adapted from 300 Best Bread Machine Recipes by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt

Chocolate-Glazed Ginger-Pumpkin Muffins

People gets excited at the beginning of fall season, because they can now order pumpkin spice latte.  I usually don't do that on purpose; if I was in the vicinity of Starbucks and it's a convenient time for me to buy it then I'll buy it.  Most likely I'll forget to buy it when it's in season.  But don't get me wrong, I love pumpkin in baked goods.  My husband and son aren't crazy for pumpkins though, especially in form of pumpkin pie; but if I made it into muffins, pancakes, or cakes, they'll be happy to eat it.

This week I made these muffins and also pumpkin pancakes.  The muffins were all gone but I had the pancakes in the freezer for the weekend.  I didn't use canned pumpkin since I had pulp from homegrown kabocha and blue kuri that my parents grew.  I had them baked until soft so the flesh can be scraped easily.  I think steaming it works too, I've just never tried it.

These muffins are great for after school snacks or even for after dinner desserts.  I'm very fond of crystallized ginger and to add tiny morsels of those on top of the muffins is a brilliant idea.

Chocolate-Glazed Ginger-Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 16 muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
Chocolate Glaze--recipe below
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line sixteen muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside.  In a medium bowl combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.

In a small bowl stir together the pumpkin, melted butter, buttermilk, and eggs.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Stir until just moistened (batter should be lumpy).  Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.  Remove muffins from muffin cups; cool completely on a wire rack.

Dip the tops of the muffins into the Chocolate Glaze, allowing excess glaze to drip off.  Place dipped muffins upright on the wire rack.  Sprinkle tops of muffins with chopped crystallized ginger.  Let stand about 30 minutes or until glaze sets.


Chocolate Glaze
In a medium saucepan heat 1/2 cup whipping cream, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and, if desired, 1 tablespoon orange-flavor liqueur over medium-high heat just until boiling.  Remove from heat.  Add 6 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate.  Do not stir.  Let stand for 5 minutes; stir until smooth.

To store:  Place muffins in a single layer in an airtight container.  Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.


Source:  adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Baking

Cinnamon Pudding Cake

Okay, so I'm coming back to writing this blog!  Yay!  After a bit of rest (almost two months!) I think I'm ready to bake again.  Last year's Christmas was a great baking moment for me, lots of cookies baked, but I felt that I was ready to take a break from eating sweets.  When school started again in January my schedule was full from the get go.  And February was almost the same pace as in January with some travel to Seattle with a friend from Wisconsin on Valentine's Day weekend.  I did enjoy it, we had a great time as a family as well.

I chose to do a pudding cake this time since I actually have never tried it before.  The cake will get caramel at the bottom which I thought this will go well with a pint of vanilla ice cream in the fridge.  The recipe warned that the topping gets sticky in the pan, so I made sure I used a nonstick pan and sprayed it well with cooking spray.  But, aaarrgg...the sticky part stuck to the bottom of the pan!  I was so happy when it's in the oven, happily rising and baking away.  Maybe I should've waited longer?  I'm not sure but I don't want not to eat this cake even if I can't take a whole cake photo.  Maybe I should take another baking break?  Why so many questions?  

So how come this photo of the cake is still being displayed?  Because I believe that it still tastes delicious with a scoop of ice cream!   

Cinnamon Pudding Cake

Serves 9

For the caramel topping:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the topping:  Preheat the oven to 350F.  Spray the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the brown sugar, water, butter, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally.  Set aside to cool.

Make the cake:  Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

Combine the butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the bowl.  Add 1/2 of the milk and the vanilla.  Add another 1/3 of the flour.  Add the remaining milk and then the remaining flour.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for 30 speeds.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.  Pour the topping over the batter (the pan will be very full).  Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake until set, 45 to 50 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, invert it onto a large rimmed serving platter, and serve warm.

Let leftover squares cool completely and store in a cake keeper or airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Source:  adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman

Apple Crepes with Cinnamon Custard and Salted Caramel Sauce

I love making crepes for my family, whether it be for dinner or dessert.  When I started making it, I was a bit worried that the crepes would tear or stick.  But with time and practice, I got the hang of it and it got easier.  What I adore from crepes was when it was just done with crispy edges and fluffy center; I'm sure they're as good plain as well as filled.  A while ago I borrowed Martha Holmberg's Crepes:  50 Savory and Sweet Recipes from the library because I wanted to try a new recipe.  All her recipes in the book looked delicious but I had to choose one so I chose this apple crepes with cinnamon custard.  The sauce to go along was salted caramel sauce.  I know, it's a lot to prep to enjoy these delicious crepes--from making the crepes, the sauce, and the apples--but it was worth the time.  Now, my only disappointment was that the cinnamon custard didn't look like the photo in the book at all.  The custard's color in the book was definitely yellowish which was understandable if it was a regular custard sauce.  When I made the sauce, I made sure I followed the recipe to a T; but achieving yellow color from brown sugar & cinnamon was impossible.  So I might be wrong but nonetheless, the sauce was quite delicious.

Squeezable salted caramel sauce:  rich, buttery, caramely, oh, just heavenly.  I licked too many spoons from making this sauce.  It's good with vanilla ice cream as well.

Apple Crepes with Cinnamon Custard and Salted Caramel Sauce

Makes 6 filled crepes; serves 6

For salted caramel sauce

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoon light corn syrup

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or creme fraiche

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For cinnamon custard sauce

1 cup half-and-half or 1/2 cup whole milk plus 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Tiny pinch of kosher salt

For sauteed apples

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 firm, tart apples (about 1 3/4 lbs), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice--I sliced them instead

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Tiny pinch of kosher salt



6 Crepes--use this crepe recipe

Make the salted caramel sauce:

Put the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and about 2 tablespoons water in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil, stirring just until the sugar is moistened and beginning to dissolve.  Let the mixture boil without stirring but do an occasional swirl of the pan, until it is a deep amber and very fragrant, 9 to 12 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully pour in a small amount of the cream; it will bubble up furiously.  Whisk in the remaining cream a little at a time so it doesn't bubble over, and then whisk in the butter, vanilla, and salt until the caramel sauce is very smooth.  Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl and let it cool at room temperature; it will thicken as it cools.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make the cinnamon custard sauce:

Heat the half-and-half in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it's just beginning to steam but don't let it boil.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until well blended, but not foamy.

When the half-and-half is hot, slowly pour about half of it into the bowl with the yolk mixture, whisking constantly and quickly.  Return the pan with the remaining half-and-half to the heat and whisk the yolk-cream mixture back into the pan.  Gently cook the sauce, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan, until the custard thickens and registers 175 to 180 F on a candy thermometer.  Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve if needed; transfer the custard to a serving bowl and chill in the refrigerator until cold, about 2 hours.

Make the apples:

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When the butter is foamy; add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until they're almost tender, 7 to 8 minutes.  Sprinkle the apples with the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt and cook, stirring often, until the apples are tender when pricked with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove the pan from heat and keep the apples warm in a preheated oven.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300F.  Put the crepes on a large plate and cover the plate with foil.  Heat the crepes in the oven until they're hot, about 10 minutes.

Lay the crepes presentation-side down on a clean work surface.  Spoon a portion of apples into the center of each one.  To fold the crepes, lift an edge of each crepe and fold it over the apples, pleating about six times as you work your way around the crepe to create a pleated border.  Spoon a thick ribbon of the cinnamon custard sauce around each one.  Drizzle a thin zigzag of the salted caramel sauce over everything, and serve right away.



Source:  adapted from Crepes: 50 Savory and Sweet Recipes by Martha Holmberg

Apple-Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

Is it time for apples yet?  You bet!  Even if I'm ready to face fall season I'm confronted to the fact that my son will start school soon and I'm back working as well.  Fall means cooler weather with more rain and the feeling of wanting for comfort food.  Apples fit perfectly because in the season because there will be apple cider, apple pies, crumbles, and many more.  What's more perfect is the aroma of apple and cinnamon, that just spells fall to me.

This pull-apart bread is very easy to make and will guarantee to make your kitchen smells good.  I've a friend whose apple trees bear enough fruits for me to pick some to be used in this bread.  Since this bake in no time, I'm planning to make it often for afternoon snack for my son when he gets home from school.  Try it, you'll probably welcome fall more than you like to :)

Apple-Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

Makes 6 servings



Nonstick cooking spray

1 7.5-ounce package (10) refrigerated reduced-fat home-style biscuits

4 teaspoons ground flaxseeds--I didn't have it so I substituted with wheat germ

2 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup thinly sliced apple--I used 1 medium apple and used up all the apple slices to fill the bread

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts--mine is chopped slightly fine

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened

2 teaspoons orange juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract



Preheat oven to 350 degree F.  Coat an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan with cooking spray; set aside.  Cut biscuits in half crosswise.  In a small bowl stir together ground flaxseeds, 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar, and the cinnamon.  Roll biscuit halves in flaxseed mixture to coat.  Alternately arrange biscuit halves and apple slices in the prepared loaf pan.  Sprinkle with any remaining flaxseed mixture and the walnuts.

In a small saucepan combine brown sugar, the 2 tablespoons orange juice, and the butter.  Cook and stir over medium-high heat until boiling.  Pour mixture over biscuits.  Bake about 25 minutes or until edges are golden and biscuits near center are done.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Invert bread onto a small baking sheet; invert again onto a serving platter.

For icing, in a small bowl whisk together cream cheese, the 2 teaspoons orange juice, the vanilla, and the remaining 1 teaspoon granulated sugar.  Drizzle bread with icing.  Serve warm.



Source:  adapted from Better and Home Gardens Fall Baking 2013

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This cinnamon swirl bread is one of many sweet breads I've discovered that's big on flavor yet very easy to make with the aid of a bread machine.  I purposely keep a bread machine just to make bread dough or pizza dough because it never fails to produce any kinds of dough I need.  And I don't even have the most expensive brand, in fact this machine was given as a gift about 10 years ago.

Cinnamon and brown sugar is a duo that can't be separated, there's got to be a recipe for cinnamon bread in every collection.  If you like cinnamon raisin bread, you won't miss the raisins in this bread.  I've made it with raisins and without raisins, both versions won two thumbs up from two members of my family and a lucky family of seven from my church who's gotten a loaf of this bread last week.

The texture of the bread is terrific, soft and buttery.  Slather one or two slices, toasted, with additional butter or peanut butter in the morning will get your day right from the beginning.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Makes 1 1/2-pound loaf



For the dough:

1 cup water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup sugar

3 cups bread flour

1/3 cup dry buttermilk powder

1 tablespoon gluten

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

For the cinnamon swirl:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted for brushing

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Place all ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer's instructions.  Set program for Dough cycle and start.

Grease a 9-x 5-inch loaf.  When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, remove the pan and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Pat the dough into one 8-x 12-inch rectangle.  Brush the rectangle with melted butter.  Sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon, leaving a 1-inch edge all the way around.  Starting at a short end, roll up jelly-roll style.  Tuck the end under and pinch the bottom seam.

Place the loaf in the prepared 9-x 5-inch pan.  Spry the top with cooking spray and cover lightly with plastic wrap.  Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.  In about 15-20 minutes before the timer is done, preheat the oven to 350 degree F.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and the sides have slightly contracted from the pan.  If the crust brown too quickly, place a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top.

Place the bread on a rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing.  Dust with plain or vanilla confectioners' sugar, if desired.



Source:  adapted from The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger